Is the teal pumpkin on your porch sending the wrong message?

There’s a new color finding it’s way into mainstream Halloween decor and it’s beautiful! Teal has been trending it’s way into clothing, dishes & other household items recently but now you can find an array of teal pumpkins (carvable, inflatable, trick-or-treat buckets, etc) on the seasonal aisle at your local big box & hobby stores like Target and Michael’s.

“I just thought it was cute… I didn’t know they were assigning meanings to everything now” a shopper next to me at the grocery check-out explained as she happily paid for a teal pumpkin to display on her front porch.  She was right.  Teal pumpkins are cute, and teal is a perfect compliment to traditional Halloween orange decor. It really “pops”.

But long before teal became trendy, it was chosen as the official color to represent food allergy awareness. And it just so happens that Halloween kicks off the season of several food-centered holidays that pose safety and inclusion risks for kids with food allergies.

So when the Teal Pumpkin Project® was first launched nationwide in 2014, it caught on quickly and just seemed to make a lot of sense! Placing a teal pumpkin on your porch is a way of signaling to cautious trick-or-treaters that your home offers something safe for everyone… non-food treats! It serves a purpose, while looking festive and adorable all at the same time.

The campaign has become so well known among kids with food allergies and other special diets that many of them are on the lookout each year, hunting for porches with teal pumpkins as they walk up and down the street trick-or-treating.  When they catch a glance of a teal pumpkin on your porch, their hearts might skip a beat knowing you’ll be offering something they get to take home and keep on Halloween night. Imagine their disappointment then, if they come skipping up to your teal pumpkin adorned porch to find that the only treat you are offering will literally poison their little bodies!

Please don’t make empty promises to these kids!  If you choose to place a teal pumpkin on your porch this year, make sure you offer the option of non-food treats alongside any candy or other food items you plan to hand out to trick-or-treaters. It’s simple for you, but will mean the world to them!